Working the Twelve Steps has become a way of life for me. I carry their simple, yet profound wisdom in my heart and in my head every day. Every morning, no matter how hectic, I take as much time as I possibly can to center myself for the day. Some days I have only a few minutes and some days I may have two hours to read from books of recovery, pray, and quietly sit in meditation. On days that I may only have a few minutes, I silently say the Serenity Prayer and choose one Step that I feel will help me the most during the day. If I don’t have an immediate feel for how my day will progress, I use the Step that correlates to the current month. I try to insert that Step into my day wherever possible. It always amazes me that there are always situations, thoughts, or feelings during any given day where my Step of the Day can be used. I find there is a need for me to use all twelve of the Steps in some way every day. By focusing daily on just one of the Twelve Steps, their meaning and their effectiveness on the quality of my daily life is made clearer to me.

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I am learning to trust myself to rise to the occasion as a problem presents itself.  I will have the resources when I need them.  I don’t have to control the outcome but can learn to trust the process.  This allows me to be less afraid of the future.  I am learning to accept change and not automatically see it as the end of the world or negative, but rather an opportunity for growth.

Reprinted from Working the S-Anon Program, page 42.

I had been in Al-Anon for two years when I found out about my husband’s sexaholism. I took some positive steps toward my own recovery, but I had every excuse in the book not to attend S-Anon – “My other program is helping me. The S-Anon meeting is too small…I need a larger meeting. I’m not like those people. He never did those things. I might run into a client or former client.” It never occurred to me to question why the same excuses didn’t keep me away from my other program. When I did start to attend S-Anon meetings, I felt like a complete newcomer. I struggled with my wish to control, my guilt, and my anger. It was a relief to hear people talk about sexual issues. I began to look at what sex means to me and how I used sex to manipulate my husband and reassure myself of my self-worth. I talked about boundaries and abstinence. Today, I continue to work both programs because I need both. Ironic as it may seem, I am grateful for my husband’s sexaholism, because it has forced me to look at my own addiction to people and to the illusion of control. I’ve learned that I can draw strength from my Higher Power and the power of both of my groups.

Reprinted from S-Anon’s Newcomer’s Information Booklet.

I came to S-Anon based on a clear ultimatum from my wife—make some changes now or she was leaving. Despite her recovery and sexual sobriety, and my attendance at meetings of another Twelve Step Fellowship, my life was still unmanageable. On the advice of a counselor and people in other fellowships, I started attending S-Anon meetings. I felt uncomfortable attending my first few meetings, all those women and very few, if any, men. How could I relate to them or them to me? Slowly, as I became willing to listen and not judge, I heard pieces of my own story—the need to fix, the feeling that everything was my fault, and the resentment toward the sexaholic. What really amazed me was seeing some members, still living with active addiction, who seemed to be able to find serenity when I had none.

Reprinted from S-Anon’s Newcomer’s Information Booklet.

S-Anon’s book, Working the S-Anon Program, is now available in eBook format.  Working the S-Anon Program is a sharing of the collective experience of the S-Anon International Family Groups fellowship. This book covers specific topics such as abstinence, “slips” in S-Anon, sharing the program with others, and more! See how S-Anon members have put the principles of the Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions into practice in a variety of situations.

Download your copy today through the SIFG Online Store!

I thought all the people were crazy and I was not coming back! My husband had gotten into recovery, which is what I had wanted for ten years. He started going to meetings, but I was so mad! I felt very left out, and inside I was raging, “He’s getting all this support when I’m the one who’s been injured! I’m the one who’s been hurt! Help me!” So I would drill him when he came home from meetings and ask, “What did you talk about?” It got to the point where one night my very soft-spoken husband exploded in anger, “If this is the way it’s going to be every time I go to a meeting, I’m going to stay home!” And I thought, “Oh no! Is he going to stop this because I’m angry that he’s getting better?”

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